On the eve of Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s trip to Washington, CIA Director John Brennan announced, in effect, that he worked for the Saudi Royal Family.

In his extensive interview June 11 with Al-Arabiya TV News channel, Brennan attacked Iran as the most important terrorist threat to the Mideast, while offering slobbering praise for King Salman and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as the United States’ strongest partners “in this fight against terrorism.” He told his interviewer, “We have excellent cooperation with Saudi Arabia. I have worked with my Saudi partners for many, many years. I served in Saudi Arabia for about 5 years and under the leadership of the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Nayef, who is also the Minister of the Interior. Over the past 15 years, the Saudis have become among our best counterterrorism partners.”

The last 15 years? Does that include Sept. 11, 2001?

Absolving the Saudis of any complicity in that horrific 2001 attack, Brennan reported that he continues to be very concerned about “Iran’s support for terrorist activities and terrorist groups … inside Iraq, Syria and the other countries throughout the region.” Calling Iran a “state sponsor of terrorism,” Brennan pontificated that it “still has a long way to go before I’m going to be convinced that they are interested in countering and destroying terrorism.” He added that he has “zero” contact with his Iranian counterparts.

While giving lip service to the need for negotiations to resolve the Syrian crisis, Brennan complained that Russia is not doing enough to use its “influence inside of Syria to encourage a transition away from the Bashar al-Assad regime.” Russia really “holds the key” as to whether Assad goes, Brennan asserted, again adding how “disappointed” he is that Russia isn’t doing more to “bring this conflict to a close.” Brennan charged that Assad is responsible for the growth of terrorism and extremism in Syria. “He needs to depart the scene.”